Last weekend, Peter Pan flew into the Grange Hall in West Tisbury along with Wendy, Michael, and John, a passel of Lost Boys, Captain Hook and his pirate crew, Tinkerbell…and (tick,tock,tick,tock) that hungry crocodile.
The Martha’s Vineyard Public Charter School cast for the production of Peter Pan featured a whopping 44 students. Actors ranged from kindergarteners to high school students, working together to create an enchanting evening of theater. The show highlighted the Charter School philosophy of the value of mixed-aged learning.
Director Heather Capece paired older students with younger students. Together, these pairs did theater exercises and helped each other through the rigorous discipline of rehearsals and performances, along with making costumes and applying stage make-up.
“It was amazing to watch these kids come together,” Ms. Capece said. “The older kids sharing their cool energy with the excited little kids was magical.”
The standing-room only crowd appeared to agree. When that classic moment came during the play to revive the ailing Tinkerbell, the roof of the Grange was raised by the collective chorus of attendees pledging that they do believe in fairies…. Tinkerbell was brought back to life and, for a brief weekend, West Tisbury became Never Neverland.
Paul Karasik is development director at the Charter School.
